5 Running Must Haves

I bought a few fun new things for when I run and I want to share what I think are the 5 must haves for a great running experience.

1. “Fanny pack.” When I go running I bring my cell phone to listen to music and to keep track of my mileage and time. However, since I was carrying it in my hand, I’m always afraid that I’m going to drop it when I’m running outside. I thought that I could find a smart watch or fitness tracker to wear instead of carrying my cell. After a lot of hours of research by both me and my husband, I realized that I have too many requirements and none of the available devices cover all of them. Okay, maybe a couple of them covered a lot of the requirements, but those came with massive prices and separate monthly charges I wasn’t interested in paying.

That’s where this UShake slim running belt comes in. I won’t lie, I hate the fact that I’ve resorted to a “fanny pack” because it’s so 1980’s and lame. However, it’s awesome. It’s just big enough to carry my cell phone and a key, and it’s thin enough that you really can’t fit anything else in it. That second part is important to avoid the 1980’s look I’m referring to. I suppose you could add a credit card to the list pretty easily in case you want to stop for a bear claw after your run. If I wear it under my shirt you can’t even really tell that I’m wearing it. I highly recommend this belt and I have a pretty big phone, but if you’re interested in getting one please make sure your phone will fit in it.

2. Running sneakers. I’ve mentioned a few times that I love these Nike sneakers and I still do. However, I’ve been running more lately and I wanted to kick it up a notch to make sure that I’m wearing extra supportive sneakers. I’ve read that the Saucony brand is a great running sneaker so I bought these Saucony Kinvara 9 sneakers. I’ve been wearing them for a few weeks and I love them.

I have to admit that they were not comfortable the first time I wore them, but that’s not unusual when you switch sneakers (especially when you switch brands). They have been comfortable ever since though. One day I took off my Saucony sneakers and put on my Nike sneakers (because it was raining and I didn’t want to ruin my new sneaks). It hit me right then that the Saucony sneakers offer me SO much extra support, which is a good thing.

If you run a lot then I highly recommend the Saucony sneaker. If you’re just looking for a comfy (and inexpensive sneaker) then I still recommend the Nike sneaker.

3. Earbuds. I love, love, love my Phaiser wireless earbuds. I wrote about them last November so I won’t bore you again. But if you missed that post and want to check it out then click here to see why I love them so much. Hint, they sound great, are super easy to configure, the battery lasts forever, they stay in my ears when I run, and they were WAY cheaper than similar offerings by better known brands.

4. Cap. I don’t like when the sun hits my face, especially when I’m running. I bought this Adidas cap for our trip to Omaha, Nebraska to see the solar eclipse (to help shade myself from the hot sun before and after it being blocked by the moon). I reach for it almost every time I go running to help keep the sun out of my eyes and off my face. I love it so much that I recently decided to buy another one in black.

5. SPF. It’s extremely important that I protect my face with SPF, even though I wear a cap. I’ve been using Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer for years. It’s not sticky feeling, like most other SPF formulas are and it’s inexpensive. I use it every morning, all year long.

There it is folks, my top 5 loves for running. Even if you’re not a runner, these things are a great options for a bunch of other uses. For example, some good sun screen and a cute hat work great at a BBQ too. With summer vacations on the horizons, you might like to use the “running” belt at a theme park to keep track of a couple of super essentials without the bulk of some other way of carrying them.